Signal for airships



Aug. 20, l 92 9.

J. P. BUCKLEY ET AL SIGNAL FOR AIRSHIPS v Filed Jan. 18, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet l inventor:

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Aug; 20, 1929.

J. P. BUCKLEY ET Al.

SIGNAL. FOR AIRSHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1928 v Inventor I RBuckZgydrift/um EJVesb zLH'.

' Attorney Aug. 20, 1929.

P. BUCKLEY ET AL 'HSIGNAL FOR AIRSHIPS Filed Jan. 18, 1928 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 20, l929.

" UNITED STATES PAT OFFICE? JOHN P. nucxnni AND 'An'rnun ninasnrm', onwasngrncron, ms'rmc'r or COLUMBIA. 1

SIGNAL roa AIBSHIPISI,

Application flied January 15.1w. Serial no. 247,685.

Y This invention relates to signals and more particularly to a signal bymeans of which communication may be established between an aviationfield and an air ship in flight. 5 At the present time it is customaryto 'rovide beacons at aviation fields but it has en found that duringstormy or foggy weather it is diflicult to determinetheir'positionrelative to the ground so that a safe landing can beeffected.

Therefore, an object of this invention is provide an audible'signalwhich can beheard y an aviator when a light cannot be easily seen and socontrolled that when it is heard the aviator ears-determine in whichdirection a landing'should' be made and the amount'of care'to beexercised when landing.

Another object of the in ntion' is to cause the audible signal to hem"rmittently energized so that the aviation field at which the ;signal islocated may be identified by a dis tinetive series of blasts and duringa nor" mallylong period of energization allow the sounding of theaudible signal to be manually controlled so it may be employed toindicate to an aviator the approximate distance from p the fog or cloudsto the ground'and the resulting care to be exercised when approachingthe landing'field;

H Another object of the invention is to allow the improved signal meansto'be associated with a radio tower of a conventional construction, theaudible signal including a sound producing element and, a horn dis--posed vertically in the tower and supported thereby, and a lamp beingmounted upon the top of the born to serve as a visible signal whenneeded.

' Another object of the invention isto confine sound waves within thehorn ,until they emerge from the 0 en up er end thereof and cause themto be, irecte upwardly in a determined. direction sothat they may beeasily heard by an aviator in an approaching airshipnnd not confusedwith ground noises.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide the aviator withreceiving apparatus including sound wave affected means adapted to besuspended at such distance from the air- --'signals' without beingunduly affected by noise from thepropelling engine of the airship thatit may pick up the audible tower set to be employed as means forsuspending the .sound wave affected element beneaththe airship. P

Other objects-will appear in the course'of the following s cificationwherein like nue0 meralsrefer to like parts: the inventionbeingillustrated in the wherein I Figure'l'is a side elevationof a radiotower having an embodiment of the improved sig- 1181 means associatedtherewith;

Flg. 2' is anenlar-ged' vertical sectional view through the horn andassociated parts;

I Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the energizing circuit for the lampand horn and control-mean'stherefor;

Fig, 4 is a diagrammatic view of the signal receiving apparatus; v Fig.5 isa sectional view through the drum taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view throu h" the, weight of the antennawire with the transmitter carried thereby shown in elevation, and

Fig 7 is a diagrammatic view of a modified receiving circuit.

The signaling apparatus constituting the accompanying drawings,

isub ject-rnatter' of this invention is intended to establishcommunication between a fiyin field and an airship approaching the fieldan ncludes signal means at the field and receiv-v ,mg rneans whereby theaviator can receivethe signals and definitel determine his 'position andthe roper 'd irection to descend when making a anding. i,

The signaling means is associated with a tower 1 which is of aconventional construction and is preferably a radio tower alreadyerected at the field and rising from a building or other base 2. Aplatform 3 is provided at the top of thetower and-the usual antenna loopconnections are indicated at 4; The

born 5 'e'xtends vertically in the tower with its upper'portionextending throu h an open- I ing fi folpned in the platform ansurrounded by earlier 7 rigidl secured upon the plat-' form in anydesire manner.

platform the horn is formed with a radial extension. or annular pocket 8engaged by the upper end of a iacket 9 which surroundsthe I106 horn andaudib e si al 10 at the lower end thereof,'as shown in Fig. 2. Theaudible signal may be of any desired type, such as a whistle, 'o eratedby steam or compressed airbu-t has een illustrated as an electrically110 Below the i energized noise emitting device having lead wires 11 and12 extending therefrom externally of the jacket. A drain pipe isprovidedto prevent water accumulating in the horn. Insulation 13 of anysuitable type which will confine sound waves is packed into U the jacketabout the horn for the full height head will be permitted to rotatefreely in the upper end portion of the horn. At its upper end the headis curved laterally and terminates in an open mouth 17 disposeddiagonally upwards so that a beam of sound waves will be directedupwardly at an incline, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be easily heard bythe occupant of an airship, such as the aeroplane 18, approaching thetower. Since the head is rotated when the device is in operation, thebeam of sound waves will follow a path defined by substantiallyconcentric cones having their apexes directed downwardly and, therefore,an aeroplane appreaching from any direction will at some time be indirect line with the sound waves passing out of the open mouth of thehorn.

In order to rotate the head, there has been provided a motor 19 disposedwithin a housing 20 supported upon a suitable support such as thebracket 21 secured to the jacket 9. The worm 22 carried by the shaft ofthe motor meshes with aworm gear 23 fast upon a shaft 24 journaled inthe upper and lower walls of the housing and this shaft carries a largegear 25 which projects through communicating openings formed in thehousing and pocket 8 and meshes with a gear 26 fitting tightly upon theinner or lower end portion of the head 14. Since the teeth only extendpartially about the gear 25 and the gear 26 is formed with an untoothedsegment to bear against the untoothed portion of the gear 25;the gear 25may continuously rotate at the, gear 26 and head of the horn will remainstationary when the untoothed portions of the gears are bearing againsteachother. Therefore, the horn will rotate in termittently and whenstationary its open mouth will always face in the same direction and foran appreciable length of time the sound waves will be directed upwardlyalong a steady path. This will preferably be d1- rectly over the flyingfield and, therefore,

during foggy weather an aviator can determine the exact location of afield and the proper direction in which to make a landing.

It isdesired to provide a visible signal as well asan audible one and,therefore, a lamp 27 of suitable size is mounted in a socket 28 pocket 8and this brush bears against a ring 32 of conductive material carried bythe gear 26 in insulated relation thereto. Blocks of insulation 33 areprovided in spaced relation to each other about the ring 32, and,therefore, the lamp will flicker as the head 14 and gear 26 rotate butwill burn steady when the head is stationary. The wire 34 leading fromthe ring 32 is cut into the circuit 35 of the motor at one side of thebattery or other source of electric energy 36 and the wire 11 of thenoise producer is out into this circuit at the other side of the sourceof energy. The wire 12 leads to the other side of the socket 28 from theWire 30 and a switch 37, such as a telegraph key, is placed in thiswire. The switch is normally closed but may be opened and, therefore,when the untoothed portion of the gear 25 is moving across the untoothedportion of the gear 26 and the light and the sound emitting device areenergized for an extended interval the key may be operated to interruptthe long dash and send a signal in code indicating the heights of theclouds or fog above the ground. During this interval, the mouthpiece orupper portion of the horn is stationary and, therefore, the light can bemore clearly seen and the audible signal more clearly heard from aposition approximately in front of the open mouth'of the 'horn and theaviator will be accurately informed as to the location ofthe field andthe direction to make a landing. It will thus be seen that there will beno danger of an aviator failing to locate a landing field or. strikingthe ground before expected when landing. A switch 38 is provided so thatoperation of the motor may be controlled. In view of the fact that thesolund emitting device 10 is disposed in the same circuit as the light,it will be intermittently energized during rotation of the upper portionof the horn and during this movement the audible signal will be emittedas a series of blasts. By a selective arrangement of insulating blocksupon the gear- 26' the frequency and duration of the blasts may becontrolled and, therefore, a station can be .cut out on clear nights ifso desired. A tube 41 is provided so that warm air may be admitted intothe horn to melt snow or ice from the walls of the horn iffoundnecessary.

The airship 18 is equipped with a conventional radio receiving set 42which isequipped .With headphones 43 and the usual antenna solidconstruction is formed with a pocket 47 and within this pocket isdisposed a receiver 48 from which extends a wire .49 passed through aninsulating tube 50. The wire 49 is covered with insulation and passes.up through the cable 51 at one side of the wire 44. The other terminal52 of the receiver is grounded upon the weight by a screw 53. Fixedrigidly to the drum in insulated relation thereto are annular terminalrings .54 and 55 engaged by brushes 56 and 57 mounted upon a block ofinsulation 58. Leading from the brush 56 is a wire 59 fixed to a switcharm 60 to be selectively moved into contact with terminals 61 and 62.When the switch is contacting with the terminal 61, a connection will beestablished between antenna wire 44 and the lead wire 630i the receivingset 42. When the switch is in engagement with the terminal 62, the plate64 carried by the switch in insulated relation thereto bridges theterminals 65 and 66 of the telephone circuit wires 67 and 68. Thiscircuit includes a transformer 69 of the usual construction and battery70 all of which are usual in a conventional telephone circuit. It willthus be seen that by adjusting the switch 60 the head phones may beemployed either to-receive messagesthrough the radio receiving set orsignals from the tower picked up by the receiver 48.

In Fig. 7, there has been shown a simplified receiving mechanism inwhich the radio receiving set and telephone circuit is omitted. In thisform the head phones 71 have their wires 72 directly secured to thebrushes 56 and I 57 and the recelver instead of being mounted in aweight has both of the wires 44 and 49 directly secured to it. When thisform of receiving mechanism is employed, no battery is necessary.

Having thus described the inyention, we claim 1 Air craft signalingmeans comprising means for emitting an audible signal at an altitudeabove the ground and directing the same upwardly at an incline andcausing the same to mpve in a path defined by substantially concentriccones having their apexes directed downwardly, and receiving means foruse by an occupant of an air craft including'a receiver and means tosuspend the same ata distance below the airship. 2. Air craft signalingmeans comprising means for emitting an audible signal at an altitudeabove the ground and directing the same upwardly at an incline andcausing the same'to move in a path defined by substantially concentriccones having their apexes directed downwardly, and receiving means foruse by an occupant of an air craft comprising a radio receiving setincluding an antenna wire and head phones, a receiver carried by theantenna wire and adapted to be suspended below the airship thereby, andmeans to selectively connect the head phones with the receiving set orreceiver.

3. Air craft signaling means comprising a tower, sound emitting means,and a horn extending upwardly through the tower fromthe sound emittingmeans with itsupper end portion projecting above the tower and curvedtransversely and terminating in an open mouth disposed diagonallyupwards and means for imparting motion to the upper portion of thehorn'whereby its open mouth will travel in an annular path.

4. Air craft signaling means comprising a tower, sound emitting means, ahorn extending upwardly through the tower from the sound emitting meanswith its upper end terminating adjacent the top of the tower, an upperhorn section rotatably engaged with the upper end portion of said hornand projecting above the tower and extended trans-' versely andterminating in an open mouth disposed in a diagonal plane whereby soundwaves will be directed upwardly from the mouth of the horn at anincline, and means to impart rotary motion to the upper horn section.

5. Air craft signaling means comprising a tower, sound emitting means, ahorn extending upwardly through the tower from the sound emitting meanswith its upper end terminating adjacent the top of the tower, an up-'per horn section rotatably engaged with the upper end portion of saidhorn and projecting above the tower and extended transversely andterminating in an open mouth disposed in a diagonal plane whereby soundwaves will be directed upwardly from the mouth of the horn at anincline, means to intermittently rotate the upper horn section, anelectrically energized lamp carried by the upper horn section, andanenergizing circuit for said lamp and sound emitting means in-' cludingan annular contact rotating with the upper horn section, insulationdividing the A contact into spaced segments, and a brush carried by thehorn and bearing against the annular contact and insulation duringrotation thereof. v I

6. Air craft slgnallng means comprismg a tower, sound emitting means, ahorn extending upwardly through the tower from the" sound emitting meanswith its upper end portion projecting above the tower and formed with anopen mouth disposed in a diagonal plane whereby sound waves will beprojected upwardly from, thevhorn at an incline, and

means for imparting movement to the horn whereby the sound wavesprojected upwardly I minating adjacent the top of the tower, an uptionprojecting'above the tower at an upward fincline and terminating in anopen mouth,

'3 section and means .for rotatin the upper portion of the horn,andsound lnsulating means disposed about the sound emitting means and.horn per horn sectionrotatabl. engaged with the upper end portion ofsaid cm and projecting ve the tower and extended transversely at anupward incline and terminating in an open mouth, a ear fitting abouttheupper born for the major portion of itscircumference formed withteeth, an annular contact carried by said gear and divided into segmentsby insulation, a brush carried by said horn to contact with exposedportions of the annular contact as the gear and upper horn section arerotated, an energizing circuitfor an electric lamp having. the annularcontact and brush included--. therein, and drive means including arotary shaft and a gear carried thereby and having teeth for asound-emitting means,

portion'of its periphery to mesh" with the teethoftliefirstgeanf "9. Aircraft. signaling means comprising a horn extending up" wardly from'thesound-emitting means and at its upper end terminating in an open mouthdispose in a diagonal dplane whereby sound waves will be projectediagonally upwards from the .horn, and means for imparting movement tothe horn to cause its open upper end to move in a ath defined bysubstantially concentric cones aving their apexes directed downwardly.a.

10. Air craft signaling means comprising sound-emitting means, a hornextending up- .wardly from the sound-emitting means'and at its up er endterminating in an open mouth dispose in a diagonal plane whereby soundwaves will be projected diagonally upwards I from the horn, and meansfor imparting movement to the upper portion of; the horn and causing theopen mouth to move in a path I defined by substantially concentric coneshaving their apexes directed downwardly.

11. Air craft signaling means comprising electrically operatedsoundemittin means',' a

. a horn extending upwardly from t e soundemittin means and terminatingin an open mouth posed in a diagonal lane whereby sound waves will beprojected iagonally u wards from the horn, horn, and an energizingcircuit for the Sound'- emitting means inclu-dmg'a contact rotating withthe horn and divided into insulated segments, and a brush bearingagainst said con tact and suc'cessively engaging the segments thereofduring rotation thereofg] l means for rotating said 12. Air craftsignaling means comprising electrically operated sound-emittingmeans,-'a horn extending upwardly from the sound emitting means andterminating in an open mouth disposed in a diagonal plane whereby soundwaves will be projected diagonally upwards from the horn, means forrotating said horn, and an energizing circuit for the soundemittin meansincluding a stationa contact an a movable contact moving with the hornand having engagement with the stationary contact to intermittentlyenergize the aving their apexes path defined by substanidentifying aparticular field and causing the beam to move in a path'defined bysubstantially concentric cones having their apexes directed downwardly.5 1

15. Air craft si alingi'neans comprisin means for producing an upwardlydirected inclined beam of sound waves and causing the beam to move in apath defined by substantiall concentric cones having their apexesirected downwardly, and receiving means to be carried by an air craftand acted upon by. the sound waves when in the path thereof. v a

16. Air craft signaling means means-for inclined beam of sound waves andthe beam 'to move in a stantiall concentric cones having their apexesirected downwardly, and receiving means to be carried by an air craftincluding causing a receiver adapted to be acted upon by the soundwaves, and means to. support the receiver at a distance from the aircraft. 5

'17. In mechani ship com rising a receiver, connecte with oppositeterminals of said re ceiver and ada ted to suspend the receiver beneathan airs i in appreciably spaced relation thereto, and head phones to beworn by an occupant ofthe airshi having connection with-said wireswherelify a signal picked up by the receiver-may be audibly delivered.18. In. a signal for air craft, receiving mechanism for use by anoccupant of an airpath defined by subcomdpri sing producing an upwardlyirecte' a signal for air craft, receiving em for use by an occupant ofan airwires electrically ship com rising a reoeiver, wires electricallyP connec with op osite terminals of said receiver and adapts to suspendthe receiver beneath an air ship in appreciably spaced rela tionthereto,a drum having said wires wound thereon, terminal rings extendingeircum-. fcrentially about said drum and having'the wires connectedtherewith, brushes contacting withsaid rings, conductors leading fromsaid brushes, and head phones connected with said conductors to receivea signal picked up by said receiver.

19. In a signal for air craft, receiving mechanism for use by anoccupant of an airship comprising a receiver, wires electricallyconnected with opposite terminals of said receiver and adapted tosuspend the receiver beneath an airship in appreciably spaced relationthereto, a drum having saidwires wound thereon, terminal rings extendingcir- 'cumferentially about said drum and having the wires connectedtherewith, brushes contacting with said rings, conductors leading fromsaid brushes, one of said wires constituting an antenna wire for a radioreceiving set, a weight carried by the antenna wire and constituting acarrier for said receiver, a radio receiving setincluding a lead-in wireand head phones operatively associated with the set, a telephone circuithaving the head phonesincluded therein and having one side connectedwith one of said conductors and its other side provided with openterminals, and a switch having an adjusted element connected with thesecond conductor and adapted to selectively connect the second conductorwith the lead-in wire and open terminals of.- the telephone circuit.

20. In a signal for air craft, receiving means for use by an occupant ofan air craft 7 including a-radio receiving set, head phones,

an antenna wire, a drum having said wire wound thereon, a weight carriedby said wire, a receiver carried by said weight and having one sidegrounded thereto, a wire leading from the other side of said receiver,in-

sulated terminal rings carried by said drum and having the wlresattached thereto, brushes engaging sald rings, one brush harm;

cured thereto a wire forming part of a telephone circuit having the headphones included therein, a lead-in wire for the radio receiving set, anda switch connected with the other brush and adapted to be selectivelycut into the lead-in wire and telephone circuit.

21. In a signal for air craft, receiving means for use by an occupant ofan air craft including a radio receiving set, head phones, an antennawire, a drum having said wire wound thereon, a weight carried by saidwire, a receiver carried by said weight and having one side groundedthereto, a wire leading from the other side of said receiver, insulatedterminal rings carried by said drum and havmg the wires attachedthereto, brushes engaging said rings, a lead-in wire for said re ceivingset, a switch including a circuit closing arm connected with oneconductor and a plurality of terminals one of which has the lead-in wiresecured thereto, a telephone circuit including a transformer havingprimary andsecondary windings, the primary windings having one endconnected with 'the second brush, a battery having one side connectedwith the other end of the primary winding and its other side connectedwith a terminal of said switch whereby a circuit may be closed throughthe receiver and prima *1,

fand connected one with one side of the head".

winding, wires leading from other terminals" phones and the other withone end of the secondary winding, a wire leading from the other end ofthe secondary winding t0 the other side of the head phones, and a bridgecarried by the switch arm to bridge the lastmentioned terminals when theswitch arm is moved into position to close the circuit through thereceiver and primary winding.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

JOHN P. BUCKLEY. IRTHUR E NESBITT.

